The difference between connotation and denotation - Communication barriers

 

A word’s denotation is its plain and direct meaning or meanings. It’s what the word explicitly means—that is, what is fully and clearly expressed by a word. Denotation is the literal meaning of a word.

A word’s connotation is what the word implies or suggests; that is, the nuances and shades of meaning that the word brings along with it, apart from what it explicitly names or describes. Connotation, on the other hand, is an indirect or implied meaning or feeling.

Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning.

The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

There are several common elements to any communication exchange.

 First, there is always a sender and a receiver. The sender is the individual that sends a message while the receiver is the individual to which the message was sent.

The message, in communication theory, is the idea encoded and sent by the sender in verbal, non-verbal, or written language. Messages are delivered through a medium, then the receiver of the message decodes the message into information. Sometimes, there can be noise that distorts this message.

Communication  barriers

An example of noise would be a language barrier, emotions, or attitudes.

1. DENOTATIVE BARRIERS AND CONNOTATIVE BARRIERS.

A denotative barrier is a difference in the definition or meaning.

A denotative barrier is a difference in the definition or meaning of a word used by the sender and receiver. Ultimately, the sender and receiver don’t agree on the meaning of a word and so they encounter some miscommunication.

A connotative barrier refers to the difference of meaning according to different abstract situations and contexts. The sender and the receiver know the meanings of the word, but use the meaning that fits the context of the conversation. The word current is a good example of this type of barrier.

To understand semantic barriers, it’s important to understand the theory of communication. Communication is the process of exchanging information and common understanding between two people⁵. To have communication, there must be a common understanding. If there is no understanding between the sender and the receiver, there is no communication. 

All the elements of the communication process affect the quality of a communication exchange. A problem in any one of these elements can result in ineffective communication⁵. There are many barriers to effective communication.

There are process barriers, which include anything that impedes the communication process, such as a medium barrier. Imagine you have an issue with your coworker. Instead of talking to the coworker face-to-face, you decide to send them a strongly worded email in the heat of the moment. This can result in a medium barrier, where the channel through which the message was sent leads to a misunderstanding.

There can also be physical barriers, which are tangible barriers to communication, such as the distance between two people.

Lastly, there are semantic barriers, which refers to the words we choose, how we use them, and the meaning attached to these words. They can also be seen as “noise” that changes the meaning of the message sent by the sender to the receiver. There are two types of semantic barriers that exist in communication:

What are Semantic Barriers?

Semantic barriers are obstacles in communication that distort or misinterpret the meaning of a message. These barriers can arise from differences in language, terminology, or the context in which words are used, leading to misunderstandings and miscommunication.

To understand what semantic barriers are, it’s important to first understand what semantic means. Semantics is the study of meaning, signs and symbols used for communication